High-visibility status indicator
A visual status indicator for an electrical apparatus is disclosed. The status indicator can be mounted within a lower cover of the electrical apparatus such that various display faces of the indicator are visible through one or more viewing windows of the lower cover. The status indicator can comprise a mounting base with protrusions and at least one wing, wherein the wing comprises at least one display face. At least one swing arm can be attached to the mounting base via the protrusions and the at least one swing arm can comprise at least one display face. The swing arm can be actuated such that either the display face on the wing or the display face on the swing arm is visible through the viewing window to indicate the status of the electrical apparatus.
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This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/318,195, titled “High-Visibility Status Indicator,” filed on Apr. 4, 2016, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/466,163, titled “High-Visibility Status Indicator,” filed on Mar. 2, 2017. The foregoing applications are hereby incorporated herein in their entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELDThis description relates to a visual indicator for an electrical apparatus, such as a recloser.
BACKGROUNDThe physical components that make or break an electrical connection within an electrical apparatus, such as a recloser, fault interrupter, circuit breaker, or any other type of current interrupter or switch, are typically not readily visible from outside of the electrical apparatus. Status indicators are used to provide an external visible indication regarding the status of components within the electrical apparatus. Status indicators known in the field are often small and difficult to see. For example, some electrical apparatus, such as reclosers, are located on overhead power distribution systems, which makes the status indicators difficult to see from the ground. Status indicators known in the prior art provide examples of the deficiencies in existing status indicators.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,314,021 to Moninski describes an operation indicator for use with a device such as a circuit interrupter. The operation indicator is shown positioned at the bottom of the device which makes it susceptible to water collecting on the indicator and ice forming on the indicator in cold weather conditions. Ice accumulating on the indicator may make it difficult for a person to view the indicator and may cause the indicator to lock and not function properly.
As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,881,670 to Binkley describes a recloser position indicator that consists of a slidable and flexible strip of material having different colors, the different colors indicating the different states of the recloser. As with the indicator in the Moninski patent, Binkley's indicator is positioned at the bottom of the device making it susceptible to water and ice accumulation. Additionally, Binkley's indicator includes front and rear walls through which the indicator is not visible thereby creating substantial angles from which a person would not be able to read the indicator.
As yet another example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,973,519 to Bindics describes a recloser position indicator that includes a display disk which rotates to display different colors through a lens indicating the state of the recloser. As with the previously identified patents, the display indicator is located at the bottom of the recloser making it susceptible to the accumulation of water and ice. Additionally, the indicator lens in the Bindics patent includes opaque sections which can render the indicator difficult to view from certain angles.
In light of the foregoing and other limitations in the prior art, example embodiments of improved indicators are described herein.
SUMMARYThe present disclosure provides example embodiments of status indicators for electrical apparatus, such as reclosers. The example status indicators are more readily visible from a variety of angles and distances without the shortcomings of prior solutions. In one example, a status indicator comprises a mounting base having first and second mounting base protrusions extending from a first side of the mounting base and third and fourth mounting base protrusions extending from a second side of the mounting base. The mounting base further comprises a first wing extending from a third side of the mounting base and comprising a first bottom wing display face and a second wing extending from a fourth side of the mounting base and comprising a second bottom wing display face. A clevis can be disposed in an internal cavity of the mounting base and the clevis can comprise first and second clevis protrusions extending from a first side of the clevis and third and fourth clevis protrusions extending from a second side of the clevis. The status indicator further comprises first and second swing arms, each of the first and second swing arms comprising a bottom member and two side members, the bottom member comprising a bottom swing arm display face and each of the two side members comprising a slot and an aperture. The slots on the first swing arm can be positioned on the first and fourth clevis protrusions and the apertures on the first swing arm can be positioned on the first and fourth mounting base protrusions. Similarly, the slots on the second swing arm can be positioned on the second and third clevis protrusions and the apertures on the second swing arm can be positioned on the second and third mounting base protrusions.
In another example, a status indicator for an electrical device comprises a mounting base with first and second mounting base protrusions extending from opposite sides of the mounting base and the mounting base further comprises a wing extending from one side and comprising a bottom wing display face. The status indicator further comprises a clevis disposed in the mounting base, the clevis comprising a first and second clevis protrusions extending from opposite sides of the clevis. A swing arm comprising a bottom member and two side members is attached to the first and second mounting base protrusions via an aperture on each side member and is attached to the first and second clevis protrusions via a slot on each side member.
In yet another example, a status indicator for an electrical device comprises a mounting base comprising first and second mounting base connection means extending from a first side of the mounting base and third and fourth mounting base connection means extending from a second side of the mounting base. The mounting base further comprises a first wing extending from a third side of the mounting base and comprising a first bottom wing display face and a second wing extending from a fourth side of the mounting base and comprising a second bottom wing display face. A yoke attachment means is disposed around the mounting base and comprises first, second, third, and fourth yoke connection means. First and second swing arms each comprise a two side members and a bottom member comprising a bottom swing arm display face. The first swing arm can be attached to the first and fourth mounting base connection means and the first and fourth yoke connection means. The second swing arm can be attached to the second and third mounting base connection means and the second and third yoke connection means.
These and other example embodiments will be described in the following text and accompanying figures.
The drawings illustrate only example embodiments and are therefore not to be considered limiting in scope, as the example embodiments may admit to other equally effective embodiments. The elements and features shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the example embodiments. In the drawings, reference numerals designate like or corresponding, but not necessarily identical, elements.
Example embodiments of a status indicator with improved visibility are described herein. Example embodiments of the status indicator are described in connection with a recloser. However, embodiments of the status indicator can be used with other electrical apparatus. Embodiments of the status indicator should not be considered limited to the specific arrangements of components shown in any of the figures. Rather, these example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the status indicator to those of ordinary skill in the art.
Terms such as “first”, “second”, “third”, and “side” are used merely to distinguish one component (or part of a component or state of a component) from another. Such terms are not meant to denote a preference or a particular orientation unless expressly stated, and are not meant to limit embodiments of the status indicator. In the following detailed description of the example embodiments, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the description.
In certain example embodiments, status indicators may be subject to meeting certain standards and/or requirements. For example, the National Electric Code (NEC), the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) set standards for electrical apparatus. Use of example embodiments described herein may meet (and/or allow a corresponding device to meet) such standards when required.
Referring now to
In the example embodiment shown in
The example mounting base 140 illustrated in
The first and second swing arms 165 and 166 are preferably made of a light and flexible material such as plastic. The first and second swing arms 165 and 166 comprise respective first and second bottom members 167 and 168 which comprise first and second bottom swing arm display faces 169 and 170. The first and second swing arms 165 and 166 also comprise side members that extend from the bottom members 167 and 168 toward the apertures 190, 191, 192, and 193 that couple to the first 160, second 161, third 162, and fourth 163 protrusions. The first and second bottom swing arm display faces 169 and 170 of the first and second swing arms 165 and 166 can comprise indicators in the form of words, symbols, and/or colors that indicate whether the apparatus, such as a recloser, is in the open or closed state. Optionally, the side members of the first and second swing arms 165 and 166 can also include indicators on side swing arm display surfaces 195, 196, 197, and 198. The indicators on the side swing arm display surfaces can be in the form of words, symbols, and/or colors that indicate whether the apparatus, such as a recloser, is in the open or closed state. Including indicators on the side members of the swing arms 165 and 166 increases the range of angles from which the status indicator 115 can be read. The indicators on the first and second bottom swing arm display faces 169 and 170 as well as the side members of the first and second swing arms 165 and 166 can also include reflective material to improve visibility.
In the example illustrated in
Similar to the protrusions on the mounting base 140, the clevis includes a first clevis protrusion 184, second clevis protrusion 185, third clevis protrusion 186, and fourth clevis protrusion 187. The first swing arm 165 can be mounted via slots on the second 185 and third 186 clevis protrusions and the second swing arm 166 can be mounted via slots on the first 184 and fourth 187 clevis protrusions. The arrangement of the swing arms 165 and 166 on the mounting base protrusions and the clevis protrusions causes the swing arms to swing when the clevis is moved axially (up or down in the orientation in the figures) by the actuator to which it is attached. Therefore, in a first position when the switch is opening, the actuator moves the clevis downward along a longitudinal axis running from the top of the interrupting module 105 through the drain hole 116. This downward motion causes the swing arms to swing so that the first and second bottom members 167 and 168 of the first and second swing arms 165 and 166 rotate outward and cover the first bottom wing display surface 150 and the second bottom wing display surface 155. With the first and second swing arms 165 and 166 rotated outward and covering the first and second bottom wing display surfaces 150 and 155, the indicators on the swing arms 165 and 166 will be visible through the viewing windows 120 and 121 when viewed from outside the apparatus. As described above in connection with
The foregoing embodiments described in connection with
As another example, alternate embodiments of the disclosure may comprise only a single swing arm, a single wing, and a single viewing window as illustrated in
In yet another alternate embodiment, the clevis can be replaced with a variety of other attachment means, such as a yoke attachment means, for interfacing between the status indicator and the actuator of the electrical apparatus. As illustrated in
Turning to a brief description of status indicator 1515, it comprises a mounting base 1540 with a first side 1541, a second side 1542, a third side 1543, a fourth side 1544, a top surface 1548, guide ribs 1575, and a cavity 1576. A first wing 1545 extends from the third side 1543 and a second wing 1546 extends from the fourth side 1544. The first wing 1545 comprises a first bottom wing display surface 1550 and optionally can include first side wing display surface 1551 and second side wing display surface 1552. Similarly, the second wing 1546 comprises a second bottom wing display surface 1555 and optionally can include third side wing display surface 1556 and a fourth side wing display surface that is opposite the third side wing display surface 1556. The status indicator 1515 further comprises a first swing arm 1565 and a second swing arm 1566, each of which comprise a pair of apertures and a pair of slots similar to the swing arms of status indicator 115. The apertures of the swing arms are attached to the mounting base 1540 via four mounting base connection means, such as first 1560, second 1561, third 1562, and fourth (not visible in
In conclusion, the example status indicators described herein provide improvements over conventional indicators by providing improved visibility from various angles. The example status indicators described herein are also less likely to malfunction or be adversely affected by condensation collecting inside the status indicator or precipitation collecting on the outside of the status indicator. It should be appreciated that aspects of the disclosure described above are by way of example only, and are not intended as required or essential elements of the disclosure unless explicitly stated otherwise. Although example embodiments are described herein, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications are well within the scope of this disclosure. From the description of the example embodiments, equivalents of the elements shown therein will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present disclosure is not limited to any specifically discussed application and that the embodiments described herein are illustrative and not restrictive.
Claims
1. A status indicator for a recloser, the status indicator comprising:
- a mounting base, the mounting base comprising: a first mounting base protrusion and a second mounting base protrusion extending from a first side of the mounting base; a third mounting base protrusion and a fourth mounting base protrusion extending from a second side of the mounting base; a first wing extending from a third side of the mounting base and comprising a first bottom wing display face and a second wing extending from a fourth side of the mounting base and comprising a second bottom wing display face;
- a clevis disposed in an internal cavity of the mounting base, the clevis comprising: a first clevis protrusion and a second clevis protrusion extending from a first side of the clevis; a third clevis protrusion and a fourth clevis protrusion extending from a second side of the clevis, the second side opposite to the first side of the clevis; and
- a first swing arm and a second swing arm, each of the first and second swing arms comprising a bottom member and two side members, the bottom member comprising a bottom swing arm display face, each of the two side members comprising a slot and an aperture, the slots on the first swing arm positioned on the first and fourth clevis protrusions, the apertures on the first swing arm positioned on the first and fourth mounting base protrusions, the slots on the second swing arm positioned on the second and third clevis protrusions, and the apertures on the second swing arm positioned on the second and third mounting base protrusions.
2. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 1, wherein the clevis further comprises a feature for interfacing with an actuator of the recloser, the actuator of the recloser causing an axial motion of the clevis.
3. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 2, wherein the axial motion of the clevis causes the first swing arm and the second swing arm to rotate.
4. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 2, wherein the mounting base comprises top surface apertures on a top surface of the mounting base, the top surface apertures for attaching the status indicator to the actuator of the recloser.
5. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 1, wherein the first wing and the second wing further comprise one or more side wing display faces.
6. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 1, wherein indicators are placed on the respective first and second bottom wing display faces of the first and second wings and the bottom swing arm display faces of the first and second swing arms.
7. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 6, wherein the indicators comprise reflective material.
8. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 1, wherein in a first position the bottom swing arm display faces of the first and second swing arms cover the respective first and second bottom wing display faces of the first and second wings and in a second position the bottom swing arm display faces of the first and second swing arms do not cover the respective bottom wing display faces of the first and second wings.
9. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 1, wherein the status indicator is enclosed within a lower cover, the lower cover comprising at least two viewing windows that are above a lowest point of the lower cover.
10. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 9, wherein the at least two viewing windows are on opposite sides of the lowest point of the lower cover.
11. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 9, wherein in a first position the bottom swing arm display faces of the first and second swing arms are visible through the at least two viewing windows and in a second position the bottom wing display faces of the first and second wings are visible through the at least two viewing windows.
12. A status indicator for an electrical device, the status indicator comprising:
- a mounting base, the mounting base comprising: a first mounting base protrusion and a second mounting base protrusion, the first and second mounting base protrusions extending from opposite sides of the mounting base, and at least one wing, the wing comprising a bottom wing display face;
- a clevis disposed in the mounting base, the clevis comprising a first clevis protrusion and a second clevis protrusion, the first and second clevis protrusions extending from opposite sides of the clevis; and
- a swing arm, the swing arm comprising a bottom member and two side members, the bottom member comprising a bottom swing arm display face, each of the two side members comprising a slot and an aperture, the slots on the swing arm positioned on the first and second clevis protrusions, the apertures on the swing arm positioned on the first and second mounting base protrusions.
13. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 12, wherein the clevis further comprises a connection feature for connecting to an actuator of the recloser, the actuator of the recloser causing an axial motion of the clevis, the axial motion of the clevis causing the swing arm to rotate.
14. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 13, wherein the mounting base comprises top surface apertures on a top surface of the mounting base, the top surface apertures for attaching the status indicator to the actuator of the recloser.
15. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 12, wherein the wing further comprises side wing display faces.
16. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 12, wherein indicators are placed on the bottom wing display face of the wing and the bottom swing arm display face of the swing arm.
17. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 12, wherein in a first position the bottom swing arm display face of the swing arm covers the bottom wing display face of the wing and in a second position the bottom swing arm display face of the swing arm does not cover the bottom wing display face of the wing.
18. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 12, wherein the status indicator is enclosed within a lower cover, the lower cover comprising at least one viewing window that is offset from a lowest point of the lower cover; and
- wherein in a first position the bottom swing arm display face of the swing arm is visible through the at least one viewing window and in a second position the bottom wing display face of the at least one wing is visible through the at least one viewing window.
19. The status indicator for the recloser of claim 18, wherein a drip shed borders the at least one viewing window to inhibit precipitation from collecting on the at least one viewing window.
20. A status indicator for an electrical device, the status indicator comprising:
- a mounting base, the mounting base comprising: a first mounting base connection means and a second mounting base connection means extending from a first side of the mounting base; a third mounting base connection means and a fourth mounting base connection means extending from a second side of the mounting base; a first wing extending from a third side of the mounting base and comprising a first bottom wing display face and a second wing extending from a fourth side of the mounting base and comprising a second bottom wing display face;
- a yoke attachment means disposed around the mounting base, the yoke attachment means comprising a first yoke connection means, a second yoke connection means, a third yoke connection means, and a fourth yoke connection means;
- a first swing arm and a second swing arm, each of the first and second swing arms comprising a bottom member and two side members, the bottom member comprising a bottom swing arm display face, wherein the first swing arm is attached to the first mounting base connection means, the fourth mounting base connection means, the first yoke connection means, and the fourth yoke connection means, and the second swing arm is attached to the second mounting base connection means, the third mounting base connection means, the second yoke connection means, and the third yoke connection means.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Apr 3, 2017
Date of Patent: Apr 24, 2018
Patent Publication Number: 20170287653
Assignee: COOPER TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY (Houston, TX)
Inventors: Brian Andrew Korves (St. Francis, WI), William Robert Luoma (Franklin, WI)
Primary Examiner: R. A. Smith
Assistant Examiner: Tania Courson
Application Number: 15/477,368
International Classification: H01H 9/16 (20060101); H01H 9/02 (20060101); H01H 9/00 (20060101);